Mingione Believes UK has Roster to Reach College World Series

Nick Mingione (Victoria Graff Photo)

Kentucky baseball will face four teams during Southeastern Conference play this season that reached the Super Regionals last year along with 2022 national champion Ole Miss and annual baseball power Vanderbilt.

“When you play in the SEC in baseball, you know you are in the premier league in the nation,” said UK coach Nick Mingione. “Four of the last five national champions came out of the SEC. You are going to play a lot of good teams.

Kentucky opens the season Feb. 16 in Spartanburg, S.C., against USC Upstate in a three-game, three-day series.

“USC has won over 70 games the last two years,” Mingione said. “We have home series with Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Vanderbilt. Those are really good home series for our fans. We had an awesome atmosphere when we hosted the regional last year. We’ve set attendance records the last several years and I am so thankful for that.”

Mingione hopes fans can help propel UK to its most successful season because he likes the roster he has.

“We want to go to Omaha (for the College World Series) and we can do it,” Mingione said. “We made the Super Regional for the first time in 2017 and were fortunate to get back the next year. We were knocking on the door (of the World Series). Last year we lost to eventual champion LSU in the Super Regional and they were better than us.

“We have been close to getting to Omaha and that’s the goal. I am not scared to say that. When coaches say and put expectations out there it falls on the coach if it doesn’t happen. I love this place and believe in our players and administration.